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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY • NATIONAL SOLAR DESIGN COMPETITION
U N I T E D S TAT E S D E PA R T M E N T O F E N E R G Y
N AT I O N A L R E N E W A B L E E N E R G Y L A B O R ATO RY
THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS

ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING INSTITUTE
DOE/GO-102001-1339
U N I T E D S T A T E S
sunwall design competition
D E P A R T M E N T O F E N E R G Y • N A T I O N A L S O L A R D E S I G N C O M P E T I T I O N
July 2001
SUNWALL AWARD CEREMONY So we created a national competition to get the best architectural firms and architectural students in
WASHINGTON, D.C. – OCTOBER 13, 2000 the country to develop a conceptual design. The competition had two goals: First, the architectural
U.S. ENERGY SECRETARY, BILL RICHARDSON community could learn the benefits of integrating solar technology into buildings. And, second, we
hoped to get a stunning design to help us seek approval for the Forrestal project. Both objectives
“For anyone who’s counting, the sun will appear to move across our sky 7,305 times in the next 20 have been obtained.
years. During that period, worldwide energy consumption will increase by nearly 80 percent. It’s a
staggering amount so we need to turn increasingly to clean alternative sources of energy – like the Solar energy systems integrated into or onto buildings is the fastest-growing segment of the solar
sun – to fuel our needs. energy market. The overwhelming response that we got to the Sunwall Design Competition shows
the tremendous interest within the United States for solar energy utilization.
Today, we take a step that I hope shows just how serious we are about redoubling our efforts to
capture some of the sun’s vast energy and making it work for us in ways that have been underutilized There were 501 individuals or teams that registered. Of that total, 115 actually submitted
and overlooked. entries. A jury of noted professionals in architecture, solar engineering, and public building
design judged entries.
We are here to unveil the winning design in the United States Department of Energy’s Sun Wall National
Design Competition. It is a spectacular solar design that we hope will cover this entire south wall of the The National Capital Planning Commission and The Commission of Fine Arts still must review and
Forrestal Building. As you see, the wall today is a blank, unappealing concrete mass with little value approve the winning design before it can be built onto the Forrestal Building. We’re optimistic because
beyond keeping the elements out and our people and equipment in. part of the challenge of this competition was to create a design that could ultimately win approval.
There are walls just like it throughout the country, indeed, throughout the world; far too many to count. Aesthetics was the most important consideration. The design had to be aesthetically tasteful and in
They are useful, but as the term is applied to walls like this one, it is time to see if we can expand the harmony with the architecture of the Forrestal Building and its surrounding area. We required that a
meaning of utility. minimum of 100 kilowats be generated by the design. And we required that application of the design
be cost effective so that we could justify the public expenditure.
It all grows from a challenge issued a little more than two years ago. In July 1998, Assistant Secretary
Dan Reicher and I were here to dedicate the 3-kilowatt solar electric array on the railing of this wall. The Energy Department hopes to lead by example through this project. If constructed, the Sunwall
Tapping into the sun’s energy is not a new idea, and what we did here in 1998 showed that we were not only would be the largest solar system on a Federal Building, it would create an international
probing for possibilities. landmark for the city of Washington, D.C. It would demonstrate the Energy Department’s commitment
to developing clean energy technologies to power the 21st century. And it would show how the
Dennis Hayes, founder of Earth Day, was with us at the time. He commended us for the initiative, but he beauty and grandeur of public buildings can be compatible with environmental sensitivity. I want to
also challenged us to do more. We agreed that the next step was to cover this entire wall with a human- thank everyone who participated, and I pledge that the Energy Department will do everything it can
designed solar system. to ensure that this spectacular design ends up on this unspectacular wall where it belongs.”
U N I T E D S T A T E S D E P A R T M E N T O F E N E R G Y • N A T I O N A L S O L A R D E S I G N C O M P E T I T I O N
SUNWALL
N AT I O N A L S O L A R D E S I G N C O M P E T I TO N
BUILDING
SPONSORED BY
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U. S . D E PA R T M E N T O F E N E R G Y
S U N W A L L • F O R R E S TA L
N AT I O N A L R E N E W A B L E E N E R G Y L A B O R ATO R Y
I N C O O P E R AT I O N W I T H
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PUBLISHED 2001
SUNWALL NATIONAL SOLAR DESIGN COMPETITION....................................................................i SUNWALL • KISS + CATHCART ARCHITECTS....................................................................................11
TABLE OF CONTENTS..........................................................................................................................iii URBAN PLEATS • MOTONOBU KUROKA.............................................................................................12

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WINNING DESIGN: SOLAR NET • SOLOMON CORDWELL BUENZ & ASSOCIATES.....................1 SUNWALL • EVANS HEINTGES ARCHITECTS....................................................................................13
DC
SECOND PLACE: SOLAR SAILS: AN INSTALLATION • MAHESH SENEGALA................................2 SOLAR SEQUINS • STUDIO GANG / O’DONNELL..............................................................................14
M A L L • WA S H I N G TO N
SECOND PLACE: SUNCURTAIN / SUNHALL • CHARLES HAGENAH................................................3 SUNWALL • DANIEL MANN JOHNSON & MENDENHALL.................................................................15
STUDENT WINNER: SHADING SUNWALL • SAM BATCHELOR.........................................................4 SUNWALL • TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY.................................................................................................16
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HONORABLE MENTION: SOLAR GRASS FIELD • ROE + WU...........................................................5 STARWALL • ALTUS ASSOCIATES.......................................................................................................17
HONORABLE MENTION: SUNWALL • JOHN LEE / MICHAEL TIMCHULA ARCHITECTS................6 SUNWALL • OVE ARUP & PARTNERS.................................................................................................18
N AT I O N A L
HONORABLE MENTION: SUNWALL • THOMAS PHIFER AND ASSOCIATES.................................7 PEELING THE SKIN • REVIT TECHNOLOGY.......................................................................................19
HONORABLE MENTION: SUNWALL • URBAN INSTRUMENTS.........................................................8 SOLAR WALL • STEFAN RICHTER.......................................................................................................20
HONORABLE MENTION: FRACTAL VINES • SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN........9 AZIMUTH WALLPAPER • STUDIO FOR ARCHITECTURE.................................................................21
THE
HONORABLE MENTION: SUNWALL • UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA..................................................10 DESIGN PROGRAM..................................................................................................................................I

OF
THE JURY.................................................................................................................................................IV
VIEW
JURY COMMENTS...................................................................................................................................V
AERIAL
CREDITS................................................................................................................................................VIII
TABLE OF CONTENTS
S O L O M O N C O R D W E L L B U E N Z & A S S O C I AT E S JURY COMMENTS SOLAR NET
MARTIN WOLF “... the winning scheme has this pond of water. Not only is it In celebrating clean energy technologies, the skin is created with an array of modular solar
MARK FRISCH interesting visually, it’s part of the energy solution...wind will thermal and photovoltaic collector panels. The collector surfaces are organized in patterns of
D E V O N PAT T E R S O N blow over the water and cool the air around the space.” solids and voids allowing light to transmit through to the interior. Each collector surface has its
own texture, giving the composition a visually stimulating appearance. From mid-fall to early
DUANE CARTER
“ The designers knew that people would be drawn to the spring, when the sun is relatively low in the sky, thermal collectors in the upper part of the wall
wall, so they reached beyond the two-dimensional to create use incident solar radiation to generate hot water for use in the building heating systems. A peak
O V E A R U P & PA R T N E R S something visually bold, not just environmentally solid.” heat output of 200 kW is predicted in September. In the summer, when the sun is high in the sky
MAHADEN RAMAN and building electrical demands are at their peak, photovoltaic panels in the lower part of the wall
“The winner is also very rich in that in addition to the solar generate electricity for use in the building. Calculations suggest a peak generating capacity of
D AV I D M . S C OT T electric, photovoltaic cells, there is solar thermal, where water 100 kW in June. The overall efficiency of the solar collection array is improved by making use of
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is heated in a solar thermal array, which is very efficient. convected heat from the back of the collector surface. In winter, this convected heat is trapped in
a glazed cavity behind the array and is drawn into the building ventilation systems as preheated
PROJECT NUMBER: 280
There is also a cavity, an airspace between the layers of fresh air. In summertime, the convected heat is allowed to escape at the top of the array and this
glass that heat air during the winter months; and there’s the draws in a current of air at the base of the wall. The incoming air is passively cooled as it passes
passive cooling off of the water pond as well. There are so over a reflecting pool, thereby improving comfort conditions in the occupied space below the wall.
many things: behind that wall are stacks that create
ventilation. So there were multiple issues that were being The structure is a series of curved primary cable trusses spanning between the vertical concrete
addressed in a very integrated, sophisticated way, which was wall and the reconfigured ground plane. Steel brackets, delicately attached to the concrete wall,
a big part of why we chose this one.” serve as mastheads for the sweeping cable trusses. This curvature is utilized to gain maximum
benefit from seasonal variations in solar altitude. The trusses derive their lateral stability from a
“They’ve provided shade in the summer, with the solid second layer of shallow perpendicular trusses. A glazed cavity for transporting convected heat
photovoltaic part, then they’ve got the glass part, which allows back to the building is formed by buttoning an inside skin of clear glass to the secondary trusses
sun through in the winter time, so you don’t have the cold air directly behind the photovoltaic panels.
behind it.”
The solution uses a solar skin to create both sweeping exterior planes and soaring interior spaces
energizing the south facade of the Forrestal Building. The clean energy produced by the wall is
seamlessly channeled back into the building in the form of electricity, hot water, and convected heat.
The composition integrates solar technology into a facade system in a thought-provoking fashion,
demonstrating that new technologies do not need to be forced to respond blindly to pre-existing
conditions nor divorced from rules governing the fundamental principles of contemporary design.
U N I T E D S T A T E S D E P A R T M E N T O F E N E R G Y •
WINNING
N A T I O N A L S O L A R D E S I G N
DESIGN C O M P E T I T I O N
SOLAR N E T • S O LO M O N CORDWELL BUENZ & A S S O C I AT E S
U N I V E R S I T Y O F T E X A S , S A N A N TO N I O SOLAR SAILS: AN INSTALLATION
M A H E S H S E N AG A L A The ensemble includes four sails, a spinal stair, four needles of time, a tree of life, and a
plaza of celebration.
TEAM MEMBERS
This proposed solar installation addressed the issues at hand on three levels: physical, institutional,
M A D H U D U T TA
and ethereal. Four sails representing four seasons stand firmly rooted in the ground and away
from the south wall of the Forrestal Building. The crucial space between the solar sails and the
PROJECT NUMBER: 267 south wall of the Forrestal Building contains a grand stair that ascends toward the east. At the
end of the climb would be an evergreen tree framed by the spring sail.
Three sails—Winter, Summer, and Autumn—house BP Solarex(TM) photovoltaic modules, the fourth
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sail (Spring Sail) is a metallic framework for seasonal vines to grow. Thus, the fourth sail comes
to life only in spring. The 591 photovoltaic modules would produce, at their peak, 142 kW of
electricity. The sails are moored according to the seasonal solar azimuth. The wall of sails is the
seasonal circle cut open to form a jagged line.
The design is more than mere power generation infrastructure. It is an institution of poetic rituals
that would connect the mortals to the land, the sky, and the sun. The otherwise blank southern
wall and the banal parking lot (where the solar needles would cast the shadows of time) would be
transformed into monumental public places through the jagged wall of solar sails. It is a monumental
and poetic offering to the sun.
JURY COMMENTS
“... it made an interesting statement, that solar doesn’t have to be ‘solar,’ it could be very playful,
imaginative, fun function on the plaza that generates electricity as well. So it’s kind of neat, almost the
polar opposite of the first one that was chosen... it’s very playful and poetic that way.”
“As a concept, it shows a way to treat the solar so it is not just an appliqué stuck on the building. This
is more sculptural, playful, not just a big wall of glass. Hopefully people will realize that they too can do
something to bring this into their building, and do it in their own way.”
U N I T E D S T A T E S D E P A R T M E N T O F E N E R G Y • N A T I O N A L
SECOND S O L A R D E S I G N
PLACEC O M P E T I T I O N
SOLAR SAILS: AN I N S TA L L AT I O N • M A H E S H SENEGALA
ROGER WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY JURY COMMENTS SUNCURTAIN / SUNHALL
C H A R L E S H AG E N A H “The top three winning designs actually create a sliver of space behind it, encouraging you to This design proposal forms an urban space for people to both enjoy and learn from. It is low cost
go in there.“ in materials and assembly, and invites technological changes, maintenance, and replacement in
B E K A E RT E C D S O L A R S YS T E M S L LC the future.
“The top three schemes that were selected all play with light in an interesting way. We thought, there’s
T E R R A N C E PA R K E R
something about the way photovoltaics are evolving that plays with light and shadow and creates a An open space for people is formed in front of the shimmering SunCurtain, and behind it is an
light-filtering effect that can make these spaces a lot nicer to be in.” impressive SunHall. A new stair connects the two levels.
BP SOLAREX
G A R Y W. L I E N E S C H “The one here, which is really a hanging curtain, is extremely practical. You could probably actually The vertical curtain's dark and light geometric surfaces and spaces are a conscious response
build it based on the schematic available right now. Depending on how you anchor it down, it could be to the concrete and glass context of the existing building, and they allow it to fit comfortably on
either more or less flexible; it could be really interesting. Maybe it could move a little bit in the wind. It the building.
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S O L A R A DV I S O R doesn’t have a lot of moving parts, even though it looks like it has lots of stuff happening.”
A L D E N H AT H A W AY The open space in front of the curtain is a traditional plaza with benches; its special features are
the grove of shade trees that replace the parking lot and new paving of crushed Chesapeake
Oyster shells to reflect additional light to the Curtain.
PROJECT NUMBER: 285 POWER OUTPUT
The SunHall is a space of grand urban scale stretching the entire 300 feet of wall and reaching
Roof panels: BP Solarex Panels, MSX-240 (44.5”x74.9”; 208 panel array, 240 W each): 49.9 kW 100 feet high. The SunCurtain face filters light between the suspended modules above, allowing
MSX-120 (43.8”x39”; 16 @ 120 W): 1.9 kW it to pass softly into this shaded space. The space will be filled with the sounds of SunCurtain
movement as the wind passes through it.
SunCurtain panels: UNI-SOLAR Panels, US64 (16”x9’; 756 module array, 64 W each): 48.4 kW
(Summer: 168 @ 55º; 588 @ 90º - Winter: 756 @ 55º) SunCurtain is impressive in scale and surface. The back side of the SunCurtain is experienced
from the upper walkway displaying all the stainiess steel cables, PV substrates and fasteners,
Total Power: 100.2 kW and the polished aluminum bent tube supports and structure.
*Note: The wall is totally shaded during mid summer sun, reducing power requirements for AC loads. Adjacent to the public plaza, within the Forrestal Building, would be a small lecture space, an
exhibit, and a film room that explains the U.S. policy on renewable energy and global sustainability.
U N I T E D S T A T E S D E P A R T M E N T O F E N E R G Y • N A T I O N A L
SECOND S O L A R D E S I G N
PLACE
C O M P E T I T I O N
S U N C U R TA I N / S U N HA L L • C H A R L E S H AG E N A H
YA L E U N I V E R S I T Y SHADING SUNWALL
S A M B ATC H E LO R The significance of this site goes back to the earliest plans for the nation’s capital. In the 1790s,
Pierre Charles L’Enfant’s intersecting avenues highlighted the importance of this location. At the
ARROWSTREET INC. turn of the next century, the McMillan Commission Plan instilled new visions for the Mall and this
quadrant of the city. Nonetheless, infrastructure and transportation have taken the upper hand in
J I M B ATC H E LO R
shaping this urban landscape. Once again we find ourselves at the turn of a century, looking to
this site and its environs as we consider the future of the city’s fabric.
BUILDING SCIENCE ENGINEERING
MARC KELLEY This proposal seeks to utilize solar energy to demonstrate that technology and infrastructure can,
in fact, enliven urban spaces. It reactivates the axis between the Jefferson Memorial and the
Capitol, as well as breathing new life to the 10th Street Mall. By creating shade, air movement,
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UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA and cooling in addition to electricity, this plan transforms a wall into a space. It is an opportunity
R I C H A R D L A R RY M E D L I N A RC H I T E C T to bring community spirit, tourism, and pride to this historic triangle. This Shading Sunwall reaffirms
the historic aspirations of L’Enfant and the McMillan Commission, and projects a contemporary
vision of a vibrant and sustainable future for Washington, D.C.
PROJECT NUMBER: 355
JURY COMMENTS
“The student one, which we didn’t know was a student one, was competing in the great draped
solution, cable-formed approach. It was very strong—in fact, one of the elements it had was
collector panels that were clearly floating. They don’t suggest a solid sheet, but are actually
individual tiles floating in a grid of wires. That we thought of as positive, it would make it much
easier to get the clearances to build it. It also would move more. It didn’t have as many energy
strategies on the board as the winner did, but it clearly was extremely creative.”
“It’s so interesting that the student scheme was right up there at the top with the rest of them.”
“It was slightly more roof than wall, in that it angled out more and captured more plaza space. The
reason why it didn’t make the final cut was just because the other scheme that we chose as the first
SECTION SHOWING AIR CIRCULATION scheme had more design synergy and more energy strategies integrated into it.”
STUDENT
N A T I O N A L S O L A R D E S I G N
WINNER C O M P E T I T I O N
SHADING SUNWALL • SAM B ATC H E L O R
ROE + WU SOLAR GRASS FIELD
STEVEN ROE The Solar Grass Field is a vertical solar collector that interacts with the persistent flows of weather
and climate to maximize the generation of solar power and also to generate a constantly changing
PROJECT NUMBER: 280 visual appearance. It not only produces electricity, but also demonstrates the complex, continuous,
and entirely unpredictable interaction of buildings and their environment.
Our design takes the form of hundreds of flexible solar collectors (or blades) supported by a
dynamic net consisting of steel cables. The wind blowing through the structure is allowed to
deflect it, while the newly produced solar power flowing through the cables of the net causes
them to rotate. Preprogrammed information about the sun’s position then allows the exposure of
the blades to be maximized. The blades would consist of flexible photovoltaic cells fixed to thin
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stainless steel strips and covered with a non-rigid transparent surface called Tefzel.
The whole structure would be continuously changing in response to changes in the weather. The
solar “grass” blowing in the breeze would be the most obvious of these. The other changes would
occur at a slower pace, causing variations over days or longer periods—the installation would
never look the same way twice.
JURY COMMENTS
“We felt the Solar Grass Field was not practical, but just intriguing and really creative. It’s one of
those far-out ideas, and one day people will figure out what to do with this kind of interesting
image in the future. We just felt it was so engaging as an image that it deserved recognition.”
THE DYNAMIC NET RESPONDS MORPHOLOGICALLY TO FLOWS

-BOTH CLIMATIC AND ELECTRIC- ACROSS IT.
U N I T E D S T A T E S D E P A R T M E N T O F
HONORABLE
E N E R G Y • N A T I O N A L S O L A R
MENTION
D E S I G N C O M P E T I T I O N
SOLAR GRASS FIELD • ROE + WU
JOHN LEE/MICHAEL TIMCHULA ARCHITECTS SUNWALL
J O H N M . Y. L E E Solar energy is an exciting resource that remains largely untapped. Our project proposed to
YING LEE not only exhibit the usefulness of solar energy collection, but reflect the dynamic nature of
KIORI MIKAGI the solar process. We chose a form for our “Sunwall” that would energize and complement
the surrounding architecture, while creating a space within the city that draws attention to
MICHAEL TIMCHULA
and educates about solar energy.
ERICH WEFING
HYUNSUK YU The space created beneath the solar roof would be used as a daycare center and playground
for 150 children, including a potential carousel for public use. The roof is transformed from
a wall to a canopy that provides passive shading and active solar energy. The different
PROJECT NUMBER: 327
angle of the sun during the various seasons provides for different efficiencies of the
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photovoltaic panels. Our roof will constantly change due to the variety of panel angles
included in our structure.
Energy levels will be indicated on the building by the rising sun and waning moon. At its
peak the roof will produce 430 kW of energy/day. The average American household consumes
10 kW/day. One hundred kilowatts of energy will be fed back into the Department of Energy’s
Forrestal Building, and the remainder will be split between the daycare center, carousel, and
the sun/moon display.
TREES SUPPORTING ROOF STRUCTURE
JURY COMMENTS
“In this design where the panel has sort of slipped off the wall, you have the combination of being
extremely factory-made and standard, yet it has this life cycle where it slipped off the wall and in the
process optimized its configuration for collecting solar energy.”
“We talked about that one quite a lot. Even though it’s not technically a wall anymore, it collects more
solar energy in its roof-like orientation. But then in the end, of course, it was a wall we were looking for.”
HONORABLE
MENTION
SUNWALL • JOHN LEE / MICHAEL TIMCHULA ARCHITECTS
T H O M A S P H I F E R A N D A S S O C I AT E S Sunwall
C H R I S TO P H E R T I M M
The Sunwall is meant to produce a dynamic and changing representation of light and a tangible
THOMAS PHIFER public example of what a solar-based, 21st-century America might be like. The key environmental
message of the Sunwall is that electricity can be generated not with coal, or oil, or gas, but with
C A R P E N T E R / N O R R I S C O N S U LT I N G renewable sunlight. Photovoltaic masts rotate constantly and unerringly to follow the sun, harvesting
its power 20 percent more efficiently than a static array. Placing the photovoltaic array on masts
JAMES CARPENTER set outboard of the walkway allows photovoltaic technology to explore its potential to define
D AV I D N O R R I S and enclose architectural space on a more human scale. Visitors can stroll along in a horizontal
glass walkway, where they can experience the technology up close. Visitors can explore the
masts’ dynamic rhythm of light and shadow and immerse themselves in an atmosphere of
J C DA reflected colored light.
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JAMES CARPENTER
RICHARD KRESS Technical Description
VA L E R I E S PA L D I N G
The Sunwall comprises 1,776 photovoltaic modules (Siemens SR100) mounted vertically on 37
masts. Each mast carries 48 modules arrayed in two columns of 24. The array extends beyond
O V E A R U P & PA R T N E R S , N E W YO R K the perimeter of the Forrestal Building’s south wall, both horizontally and vertically. The masts,
M AT T K I N G which adjust constantly to follow the sun’s azimuth, are set outboard of and spaced along the
Forrestal’s south walkway to permit pedestrian traffic behind them. The photovoltaic modules are
N I G E L TO N K S connected in series and their harvested electricity is sent to a grid-connected subpanel by way of
a combiner box, inverter, and transformer. It is predicted that the Sunwall will produce over 170,000
PROJECT NUMBER: 460 kWh of electricity annually.
JURY COMMENTS
“There’s something about the vertical, articulated line. It really is a minimalist sculpture, actually.
...The solar vertical panels picked up on the expression of classical proportions...”
“It’s the one that has the most pronounced overlap. It extends beyond the building, which would
draw you up the L’Enfant Promenade because you would see at least the last two or three of
those fins from down Independence Ave. And it also extends over the top of the building...”
HONORABLE
MENTION
SUNWALL • THOMAS P H I F E R A N D PA R T N E R S
URBAN INSTRUMENTS SUNWALL
D AV I D W I B O R G Introduction
WELLEINGTON REITER The creation of good architecture and quality public space can be an outgrowth of the incorporation
GREG RUSSELL of new sustainable technologies rather than a separate undertaking. This proposal attempts a
thorough integration of public amenity, education, spectacle, and of course, a demonstration of
SARAH WOHLERS
innovative energy production.
PROJECT NUMBER: 463 The Public Realm

What guided the development of this project was the idea that all public areas of Washington
D.C., and especially those within walking distance of the Mall, should support the possibility of
engagement with the public whether they be residents or the millions of visitors from around the
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world who come to the city. To that end, the proposed design is intended to enhance the walkway
areas surrounding the Forrestal Building; encourage further use of the lower place areas via
shade, seating, and possibly a café (especially in the summer months); and spark an interest in
the technology, which is the motivation for the project. The proposal also does not shy away from
the idea of monumentality, which is certainly a function of Washington and even the southern
wall of the Forrestal Building.
Conclusion
This project is about responding to a natural process and then registering the success of that
work through visual information and spectacle. For example, the image on the right reveals the
array of photovoltaic units in their most “alert” position as they take full advantage of the nearly
overhead sun position. Much like the petals of a flower or the feathers on a bird’s wing, these
same units settle into an “at ease” posture when not in use, while the information vessel takes on
a starring role as a beacon on the Washington skyline (see the night view, lower right). This
“cause and effect” event will demonstrate the viability of untapped energy resources and untapped
amenities within the public realm. This project provides evidence that not only are these two
aims not mutually exclusive, they can also actively support one another.
HONORABLE
MENTION
SUNWALL • URBAN INSTRUMENTS
S AVA N N A H C O L L E G E O F A R T A N D D E S I G N Concept Proposal: Patterns in Time / Fractal Vines
C A R O L I N A L LO V E R A S
Something of elegance and simplicity, something of beauty and timelessness, something that
C AT H E R I N E M . TA B O R ( FA C U LT Y ) merges the peak of our technological prowess and artistic craft: this is our offering for the Sunwall
design competition.
PROJECT NUMBER: 96
This project shows the possibility of creating beauty through technology by integrating
photovoltaics into a building façade. The moving and dramatic use of translucent colored glass
PV panels and standard PV panels is both an experiential sculpture and an elegantly functional
use of photovoltaic technology.
Our design has three basic components: fractal vines, wall backdrop text panels, and tree canopies.
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The main concepts for the form came from nature’s models for photosynthesis. We sought to
draw a parallel between photosynthesis and photovoltaics. In essence, we focused on a biomimetic
approach by looking at vines and how they grow up the sides of trees. We chose fractals because
we wanted the system to be modular and composed of basic components.
The “tree canopies” are located in the existing parking area and will shade car parking and generate
electricity for electric car charging stations located below the canopies.
The final result is a wonderful experience of walking through a mosaic of kite-shaped panels,
together creating a fabric, a texture, a pattern of color, and shadows emulating nature.
STUDENTD E P A R T M E N T O F
HONORABLE
MENTION
F R A C TA L VINES • S AVA N A H COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA SUNWALL
MARK HAIZLIP
In response to the sun’s arc through the sky, the wall takes the form of a curve in both plan and
BRANDON JOO section. This maximizes the surface’s exposure to the sun’s direct and most potent radiation,
KRIS CONNER thereby maximizing energy output. On a human scale, this hemispherical structure forms an
inhabitable space, visually suspended off the wall. A ramp gradually climbs through the expanding
and contracting boundaries and sets the experience in motion, occasionally pausing for a moment
PROJECT NUMBER: 294
of light, and terminating at an observation deck that pierces through the enclosing skin into the
brightness of the sun, a point of reflection. A waterfall continues the kinetic sense of the
composition, travelling up the existing wall through exposed pipes and falling with gravity over the
taught skin to a shallow pool at the ground level. The sun generates the form and function of the
design in every aspect—from the complex curve that favors the south-east in plan and tilts slightly
10
skyward in section, to the abstract idea of kinetic energy and motion, to the literal electricity
required to move water against the gravitational force of the earth. Producing approximately
200 kW of electricity, the construct harnesses enough energy to sustain its own cycle of kinetic/
potential energy, and it assists with the primary energy requirements of the building.
U N I T E D
STUDENT
S T A T E S D E P A R T M E N T O F
HONORABLE
MENTION
SUNWALL • UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
K I S S + C AT H C A R T SUNWALL
G R E G O RY K I S S Solar energy technology is inherently silent and self-contained. Desirable as these qualities are
C O L I N C AT H C A R T for a power source, they make photovoltaic production invisible to the casual observer. Kiss +
F LO R I A N B A U E R Cathcart’s design not only produces energy both actively (PV electricity) and passively (heat
collection), it also reveals the work of solar technology through the sunlight it transforms.
KIMBRO FRUTIGER
RO B E RT G A R N E AU The proposed solar surface is a city-scaled sundial, with light passing through a PV screen to
NURIA WIDMANN mark time on the concrete wall. The glass screen incorporates crystalline and thin-film panels
PEGGY MOCK with various translucencies, and the space behind is animated by various diffusions of light
pierced by the bright shaft of the sundial and the gnomon’s shadow. The sundial manifests the
dynamism and the dependability of the sun and of energy derived from it.
11
O V E A R U P & PA R T N E R S U S A
D AV E R I C H A R D S The PV surface is set eight feet out from the face of the DOE building, with a building-integrated
PV enclosure along the top of this slot housing an educational exhibit. After an account of solar
PETE TILSON energy’s development, visitors cross the sundial cut into a room that features an enormous
digital output display visible from the street.
PROJECT NUMBER: 370
The Sunwall comprises a photovoltaic assembly and a thermal collection system. The PV array
consists of 4' x 10' BIPV modules in 10 degrees of translucency. The more opaque modules are
custom-scribed amorphous silicon. The more transparent modules incorporate monocrystalline
silicon wafers laid out in a grid pattern. The total size of the system is 113 kWp.
SUNWALL • K I S S + C AT H C A R T ARCHITECTS
M O TO N O B U K U R O K A W A URBAN PLEATS
Surface
PROJECT NUMBER: 227
“The division of the continuous must not be taken as of sand dividing into grains, but as that
of a sheet of paper or of a tunic in folds, in such a way that an infinite number of folds can be
produced.” Pacidus Philalethi (C, 614-15)
Pleats are indelibly “baked” into synthetic fabrics such as polyester, whose thermoplastic
properties have a “memory” for heat. Similarly, the proposed design intends to capture the
memory of the sun and its translation into the electricity. In the conceptual stage, a series of
computer graphic animations demonstrated various organizations of the panels in relation
12
to the sun’s movements. By incorporating “time” into the design process, the Cartesian
theory of coordinates became obsolete; time collapses space into infinite repetition of folds.
The proposed surface, like pleated fabric, folds the trace of sunlight into the urban fabric.
Urban Strategy
The gap between the existing wall and the PV surface is used as a public promenade,
connecting 10th Street to Independence Avenue. Dozens of so-called “E-booths” are located
on site to provide the public with information such as event schedules, reservations, email
etc., via the Internet. The promenade, by definition, is not a destination but a hub connecting
multiple destinations. E-booths play a significant role in a virtual promenade by digitally
enriching the public’s access to the information on where to go and what to do next.
URBAN P L E AT S • M OTO N O BU KUROKAWA
E VA N S H E I N TG E S A R C H I T E C T S P L LC SUNWALL
R O B E R T E VA N S Our Sunwall project is a dynamic and visually exciting way of treating an optimal fixed array
K E V I N P R AT T of photovoltaic cells affixed to a south-facing wall in the Northern Hemisphere. By transforming
S H A L I N I A B E YA R AT N E the simple geometry of the array into a waving United States flag, we hope to demonstrate
the plastic opportunities afforded by modern photovoltaic materials. We also intend to create
AY B A R S A S C I
a landmark piece of public sculpture that will draw attention to both emerging solar technology
and the many green building programs initiated by the Department of Energy.
PROJECT NUMBER: 396
To this end, the entire structure will be illuminated by cold cathode tubes at night, expending
the energy collected during the day, thus demonstrating the project’s electrical potential.
The design also incorporates a gallery space behind the point supported glass star field; this
13
will allow both a close examination of the array itself and the staging of small exhibits related
to the activities of the Department of Energy.
SUNWALL • E VA N S H E I N TG E S ARCHITECTS
STUDIO GANG/O’DONNELL SOLAR SEQUINS
MARK SCHENDEL Solar Sequins was designed to excite and engage visitors with a phenomenal experience that is
JEANNE GANG as changing as the D.C. weather. Solar Sequins move with the wind refracting sparkles of light to
K AT H L E E N O ’ D O N N E L L create constantly changing patterns across the surface. In this way the environment itself actually
defines the aesthetic of the wall and makes the public aware of its presence.
K A R A B OY D
J U N N KO G O E S K I Thirty-six silicon mono-crystalline cells laminated between sheets of low -iron glass make up one
“Solar Sequin” or PV module. Six thousand, eight hundred and fifty Sequins are mounted to rods
PROJECT NUMBER: 232 in a three-dimensional lightweight stainless steel cable-net structure. Slight movement is
encouraged through a pivoting socket connection. Eye-catching sparkles attract attention to this
impressive example of solar energy in the nation’s capital.
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“Your actions are pointless if no one notices.” At night, a projector powered from the wall shines
the American text artists’ phrases onto the surface (the projected light is recycled by the PV). Like
the wall’s surface, the text changes periodically to engage frequent visitors.
The Solar Sequins project combines architecture, engineering, and art, each informing the other.
The tight-knit collaboration makes this project representative of a 21st-century interdisciplinary
approach to design.
SPACE BETWEEN
Shadow patterns animate new balconies, patios, and rooms between the diaphanous PV net and
the wall. These spaces are structurally supported from the building’s diaphragm. Fifteen voids
cut into the existing wall (where structurally convenient), improving the DOE office building by
providing daylight, air, and views to the otherwise monotonous floor plan. Four public rooms are
accessible from the plaza. Visitors move between the various spaces, which offer information
about the Sunwall, the new National Energy Trail and its urban amenities, food, refreshments,
and a place in the shade. Our project unites the Sunwall and the Forrestal building by activating
CONCEPT SKETCH - FLUTTERING MOVEMENT a dynamic space between the two.
SOLAR SEQUINS • STUDIO GANG / O’DONNELL
DANIEL MANN JOHNSON & MENDENHALL MISSION
M A R K D. W O O D B U R N This solar sculpture is intended to make three primary contributions. First, the design seeks to
MIKE FRIEDS create a major architectural and technological landmark via implementing design concepts of the
A A R O N G A S PA R solar system. The landmark status leads to the second contribution of raising public awareness
(education) about solar energy as the design is based upon the essential aspects of the solar
H O W A R D K R AV I T Z
system. And third, while the sculpture is a fixed element of uniqueness in its own right, the
J E A N N I E M A PA R I S H resulting shadows cast upon the +32,000-square-foot canvas of concrete will provide an enduring
REBECCA L. SEITZMEYER selection of varied compositions. This once bleak wall of sameness will be transformed into a
ROBERT R. SMEDLEY living wall of perpetual change.
CONCEPT
15
PROJECT NUMBER: 320
The Sunwall is an artistic expression of solar activity and humankind’s efforts to harness its vast
resource of energy. The composition consists of two basic elements: the solar arc and panels.
If a solar panel were to follow the path of the sun from sunrise to sunset, its movement would
range from low to high in transverse from east to west. To simulate the sun’s energy variation in
strength through the course of the day, the solar panel’s available area may likewise increase
and decrease. Understanding that the sun’s altitude varies between summer and winter leads to
the idea of alternating the solar panels to reflect these two extremes.
SUNWALL • DA N I E L MANN JOHNSON & MENDENHALL
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY THE SUN WALL
D R . K . E V E R E T T E S Y LV E S T E R This Sun Wall design utilizes photovoltaic (PV) technology within a glazed curtain wall to generate
an architecture that embodies the individualism of the American public, along with the strength of
PROJECT NUMBER: 191 their collective unity. Allowing optimal electricity production and no shading of the PV elements,
the design is a geometrically dependent sawtooth shape supported by structural glazing etched
to show the flag of each state. The uppermost facade is suspended structural glazing that collects
thermal energy, and the lowermost PV facade protects ground level pedestrians, unifying the
vertical elements with the existing structure. Terminating the horizontal thrust of the facade,
fortifying vertical pillars echo the architecture of the east and west facades.
Overall, the 95-kW facade generates 156,983 kWh of electricity annually to offset the energy
16
consumption of the building. Reaching temperatures of 187 degrees Fahrenheit, the Sun
Wall captures 1,106.36 MBtu/h (324.3 mW) of thermal energy annually to assist the desiccant
air-conditioning system during the summer and to preheat the building during the winter. During
summer nighttime hours, dehumidification occurs to combat known indoor air-quality problems.
When the building cannot benefit from the thermal energy collected, air-handling equipment placed
in the vertical pillars ventilates the unwanted heat to maintain production of PV electricity.
SUN WALL • TEXAS A & M UNIVERSITY
A LT U S A S S O C I AT E S STARWALL
D AV I D N I X O N The Starwall design consists of a pattern of 50 photovoltaic stars, one representing each
K AT H R Y N L I M state. The Starwall is intended as a powerful architectural contribution to the Washington,
D.C., site where it is located.
PROJECT NUMBER: 334
The stars are designed to be lightweight and durable. They are identical and their components
can be optimized for multiple production. At each star’s core is a skeletal framework attached
to the wall by a trunk. The five star points are hinged, with their angles controlled by electric
motors and actuator rods. The skeletal frameworks are made of machined and welded
aluminum. Face panels are made of honeycomb composite to which photovoltaic sheets are
laminated. The trunks and sleeves are made of molded reinforced composite.
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Each star can generate two kW of power, making a total of 100 kW for the Starwall. The
electric motors and actuator rods are commanded by a computer inside the building. The
angles of the star points are continually optimized for solar altitude and azimuth. Adjustments
are made every 15 minutes to track the daily sun-path throughout the year for the required
latitude. The apexes of the stars are illuminated at night as a visual feature.
S TA R W A L L • A LT U S A S S O C I AT E S
O V E A R U P & PA R T N E R S SUNWALL
M A U R YA M C C L I N TO C K The Arup team’s concept seeks to broaden the message of the total energy role of the sun in the
earth’s energy cycles: passive, active, converted. It looks beyond the DOE campus to the whole
PROJECT NUMBER: 484 of Washington and beyond in three ways:
• An architecture derived from the seasonal solar path, with the sun as a valid energy source
through the year. A structurally elegant system, this Sunwall provides an overt solar message
for commuters on the railway and the people of the city. It also reflects how the Sun drives
the Earth’s water cycle, which is recycled by the capture of rainfall.
• The creation of a passive microclimate beneath the sweeping solar wall, which serves as a
18
transition space, passively heated by the sun in cool weather and naturally ventilating heat
away in hot summer.
• Plug-and-play technology for the wall’s solar arrays, with interchangeable arrays as a proving
ground for new technology and new manufacturers, gathering solar energy for by the DOE
and visitors’ center.
There is a display center allowing the public to experience sustainable energy sources. In addition,
a fleet of cars powered by the Sunwall, perhaps by hydrogen fuel cells for DOE staff, could take
the clean energy message around Washington. There are spaces for schools and the community,
and an inspection platform to experience the vast arrays.
SUNWALL • OVE A R U P & A S S O C I AT E S
R E V I T T E C H N O LO G Y Peeling the skin (layer, filter, peel, energy, skin, light)
KEVIN SETTLEMYRE The experience…A person walking east of Independence Avenue suddenly catches a glimpse
K A R L DAU B M A N N of “blue” to the right. A second glance displays a rhythm of “PV poles” mounted at various angles
(24,39,54,90) marching along the Forrestal building. Rounding the corner, the person sees a
PROJECT NUMBER: 217 striking view of the skin as it sweeps into a slight concave shape, peeling away from the building
and from itself to form a stair that rises up into the skin. Each step of the ascent unfolds more of
a view of the combination of towers, balcony levels, and the catwalks that workers are using to
interchange PV panels. Approaching the towers, one can see a series of different battery types
behind the glass (providing data on storage, presently and over time) peeling back to a stair rising
up to the next level. As one moves vertically, the history of PV technology is told with a theme
relating to the past, present, and future at each floor. The top two floors house exhibits on the
19
current state of U.S. companies and how research is shaping the future.
The form is derived from the relationship of the southern exposure to true magnetic north for
Washington, D.C. The arc established by this relationship forms a space on the east side of the
Forrestal building where a series of forms combine to create an educational tower of the operations
of the skin as well as its environment.
Education of the public…occurs by peeling away the layers of complexity behind PV technology
to express how the energy is transformed, what it can mean to their everyday lives, the aesthetic
qualities of PVs, the size of the industry, what is available on the market, and what is being
investigated to shape the innovations of the future.
PEELING THE SKIN • REVIT T E C H N O LO G Y
STEPHAN RICHTER SOLAR WALL
Many environmentally focused discussions are quick to set up a polarity between the
TEAM MEMBERS technological world and the natural world. We seek to highlight these polar aspects and heal
ASHAR NELSON the dichotomy with architecture. This architecture creates a place where technological and
BEN ALRED natural elements unite experientially, and, in the pilgrimage spirit of Washington, D.C., promotes
awareness as a monument to solar energy.
PROJECT NUMBER: 490 Visitors enter the vaulting space behind the Solar Wall, gradually leaving daylight behind. The
grandeur of the main space is complemented by smaller, more intimate spaces between the
support piers. The piers contain multimedia displays on the history and future of solar technology.
A gap in the center of the wall lets a sliver of light illuminate the darkest point behind the wall
20
and marks a portal through the wall. The contrast between the dark and the light, at the base of
a giant solar collector, heightens the awareness of the sun’s potential. Variable speed pumps,
fluctuating with the level of power being generated, lift water from reservoirs to flow under the
bridge and back into the landscape. The flowing water heightens awareness of the sun’s working
energy through the solar wall—nature working through technology. Finally, the bridge carries
the visitor away from the technological spectacle and down into a quiet garden, a refuge from
the busy city.
SOLAR WALL • S T E FA N RICHTER
STUDIO FOR ARCHITECTURE AZIMUTH WALLPARK
JASON PEARSON The Azimuth WallPark animates the south wall of the Forrestal Building with an array of photovoltaic
(PV) panels that continuously track the sun, creating a constantly changing performance across
PROJECT NUMBER: 191 the face of the building with a vertical field of reflections.
During daylight hours, the panels maximize their solar exposure by tracking the path of the sun
across the sky. Simultaneously, reflections in their glass surfaces create a tessellated Wall of
Sky that shifts and changes with the passing of the day and the motion of the panels. The panels’
motion is both a public representation of the sun’s energy and a visual transformation of the wall.
As the sun passes below the horizon, the panels continue to track its path, completing a full
21
360-degree revolution each day. Overnight, the gradually increasing downward orientation of
the panels offers shifting reflections of a new public space south of the building, illuminated
by a forest of light standards powered with a portion of the excess energy generated by the
system. The lights of passing trains and traffic join these reflections on the facade to create
a Park of Light.
AZIMUTH W A L L PA R K • STUDIO FOR ARCHITECTURE
DESIGN PROGRAM Goals and Objectives of the Sunwall Design Competition: Bring utility and value to otherwise unproductive wall space - For any building in the Northern
Hemisphere, a south-facing wall or roof is the ideal orientation for solar energy collection. Since the
Introduction: Improve the aesthetics of the Forrestal Building - Architecturally, the building typifies the formal, Forrestal’s south wall is blank concrete, it can easily be translated into an ideal canvas for aesthetic
Federal office building architectural style predominant in the Southwest quadrant of Washington. and environmental expression. In addition to the 32,100 square feet of wall surface, the proposed
The United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) Sunwall National Solar Design Competition The Forrestal Building’s repeating window/cell pattern is absent from the south wall, which is design can come out from the exterior surface of the wall to the far end of the Forrestal Building
challenged entrants to create a solar system that is both technologically advanced and visually composed instead of 18-inch thick, poured-in-place concrete. Cut into the entire exterior surface is property (along the railroad tracks) and must stay at least 15 feet above any walkway. The solar
exciting for the south-facing wall of DOE’s Forrestal headquarters building in Washington, D.C. a broad grid pattern that mirrors the floor lines and window pattern from the rest of the building. The design cannot impede, in any way, the cooling and other mechanical equipment located behind the
Sunwall is intended to be a major architectural and technological landmark that will demonstrate southern orientation and considerable set-back from neighboring buildings (of a few hundred feet) Forrestal building and it cannot be climbable.
the department’s commitment to developing clean energy technologies to power the 21st century. make it an ideal site for solar exposure. At the base of the wall is an eight-foot-wide walkway along
The winning design is being considered for future installation on the Forrestal Building. its entire length. On the outside edge of the walkway is a concrete knee wall with a tubular railing on Stimulate solar design practices within the architectural and building professions - Commercial
top. As constructed, the south wall should be able to support the weight of solar energy devices and institutional buildings are major electricity consumers and many of them have large southern wall
The Challenge: anchored to it. and roof areas. By stimulating architects and building designers to use solar design practices in their
I
commercial buildings, DOE hopes to create a new expansion and expression of solar energy usage.
The Sunwall Design Competition invited architects, building design professionals, engineers, and Demonstrate and promote solar technology - Solar energy devices convert sunlight either directly
energy technology companies to demonstrate how the beauty and grandeur of public buildings into electricity with photovoltaic (PV) technology, or into thermal energy using either air or a liquid as Rules:
in Washington can go hand-in-hand with environmental sensitivity. The 32,000-square-foot blank a collection and transfer medium. Several solar technologies have experienced increased usage and
concrete wall is within view of the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument, and is around the tremendous industrial growth in recent years, mostly driven by their attributes of being non-polluting, The solar energy system designed (photovoltaic and solar thermal) can use the entire wall area of
corner from the famous Smithsonian Institution "castle" on the National Mall. modular in size and operation, and suited for remote siting. However, the existing installed capacity 32,100 square feet (107 feet high by 300 feet long).
and current usage of all kinds of solar technologies is dwarfed by the potential future contribution that
The underlying objectives of the design competition were to apply the creative and innovative these technologies could make toward satisfying the world’s electricity and thermal energy needs. The solar products designed in the solar system must be manufactured and produced in the United
forces of architectural design to advance solar energy use in buildings. A jury of noted professionals One of the ways that solar energy usage is expected to grow most rapidly in the near future is through States or its territories.
in solar architecture and public building design, among other fields, was convened to evaluate building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), where the solar devices are incorporated into the building’s
each entry on its individualistic and artistic expression. The winning design will be showcased at exterior. In essence, this design competition is meant to show the possibilities of solar technologies, The integrity of the existing wall must not be compromised in any way. This does not preclude anchoring
such prominent locations as the DOE lobby, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of building design and energy usage, and how a solar-based, 21st-century Washington, D.C., and to the poured-in-place concrete wall, and entrants are required to include attachment details.
Visitor Center in Golden, Colo., and The American Institute of Architects (AIA) annual convention. America might look. For additional information on solar energy technologies, please consult
It will also be placed on the Web site for reference. www.eren.doe.gov. The solar system must generate a minimum of 100 kW (or the equivalent thermal energy).
Facilitate successful approval of the installation - DOE plans to build the winning design. The relative Continued
importance of the three evaluation criteria (below) show that DOE is most interested in an aesthetically
pleasing design that will help garner ultimate support.
DESIGN
PROGRAM
Due to the nature of this project, two governing bodies—The National Capital Planning Commission Energy Production: While the primary objective of the Sunwall Design Competition is to maximize History and Background of the Forrestal Building:
(NCPC) and The Commission of Fine Arts (CFA)—will have to review and approve any design that aesthetic and artistic expression, a reasonable amount of energy must be generated to justify the
would be built on the Forrestal Building. Accordingly, part of the challenge of this competition was to investment. Accordingly, energy production was also an important basis upon which competition The James Forrestal Building, named for the first Secretary of Defense, was the first building to be
create an ultimately approvable design for the DOE Sunwall. entrants were judged. The Competition’s evaluation criteria allowed for a reasonable tradeoff in designed and constructed specifically for the Department of Defense (DOD) rather than a particular
energy production for aesthetic or creative functions. Entrants had to explain how the energy military service. Congress authorized the construction of the building in 1961, and it was intended
The U.S. General Services Administration will also have to review and approve any design built on the production calculations were derived. as a manifestation of President John F. Kennedy’s effort to improve the quality of federal government
Forrestal Building. architecture. Originally designated Federal Office Building #5, the building was renamed by President
Cost Effectiveness: Any federal investment in a building energy system needs to be cost effective to Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, and DOD staff moved into the building in April 1969. On August 3,
Sponsors: justify the public expenditure. The directives under the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) 1977, the James Forrestal Building was selected to be the headquarters for the newly established
are to "identify and procure the best, most cost-effective energy saving projects." Although this project Department of Energy. James R. Schlesinger, the first Secretary of Energy, with his immediate
The Sun Wall Design Competition is sponsored by U.S. Department of Energy, The American Institute is far from the usual federal retrofit, it still had to demonstrate a certain measure of cost-effectiveness. staff and other DOE employees, began working at the Forrestal Building on May 1, 1978.
of Architects, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the Architectural Engineering Institute. While third in importance in this competition, it remained a strong consideration because of its
II
importance overall in building projects. The Forrestal Building is actually a complex of three interconnected buildings, including a cafeteria
Evaluation Criteria: and child development center. The major section, a long narrow structure running parallel to
Awards: Independence Avenue between 9th and 11th streets S.W., is raised on 36-foot pilotis (or piers)
Aesthetics: Aesthetics were the most important consideration. To receive NCPC and CFA approval bridging the 10th Street Mall (also known as L’Enfant Promenade) at its northern entrance. The
and ultimately be built, the design had to be attractive and in harmony with the architecture of the A cash prize of $20,000 was awarded to the winning design. Second and third place awards, as well unusual configuration resulted from the need to improve building access for DOD. At street level,
Forrestal Building and its environs. Pierre L’Enfant's design for the new capital emphasized architectural as honorable mentions for professional and student categories, were also given. the vista from the rear of the Smithsonian Castle, south along L’Enfant Promenade, is nearly
and aesthetic quality, and this remains a priority. His design, through its stateliness and grandeur, unbroken. Pedestrian and automobile traffic passes below the building.
showcases Washington, D.C., as a world capital. Significance to DOE:
While many aesthetic considerations may involve individual interpretations, some fundamental aspects When installed on the Forrestal south wall, the Sunwall will be the largest such solar energy system
are the balance and proportions of any addition to a building. Also, a building addition should appear on any federal building in the United States, and one of the largest on any building in the nation. The
to be fully integrated into the design of the original building and avoid the appearance of being put on largest federal installation is at the Yuma Army Proving Grounds in Arizona, which has a 450-kW PV
afterward or as an afterthough. system controlling all its water, including back-up pumping. However, the system is located next to,
and is not integrated into, the building. The largest building-integrated solar system is the Western
Area Power Administration’s Elverta system, which is less than 100 kW counting all subsystems.
Because residential and commercial buildings account for more than one-third of primary energy
demand and two-thirds of electricity demand, this project will show that clean energy technologies
can offset building energy usage while being visually pleasing and respectful of the environment.
DESIGN
N A T I O N A L S O L A R
PROGRAM
L’ E N FA N T PROMENADE • F O R R E S TA L BUILDING • F O R R E S TA L BUILDING D E TA I L
S U N WA L L D E S I G N C O M P E T I T I O N J U RY A jury composed of noted professionals in architecture, solar engineering and design, and
public building design met in late-August 2000 in Washington, D.C., to judge the entries.
RICK HENDRICKS
RALPH JOHNSON Mr. Rick Hendricks a professional engineer with the U.S. General Services Administration,
SANDRA MENDLER Washington, D.C., studied mechanical engineering at the University of Illinois and has over
30 years of experience in construction and facility management, including 20 with the
BART PRINCE
federal government.
S T E P H E N J. S T RO N G
Mr. Ralph Johnson of Perkins and Will, Chicago, is an internationally known architect who has
received over 30 design awards in the past eight years. His architecture degrees are from the
University of Illinois and Harvard University.
IV
Ms. Sandra Mendler is an architect and design principal with CUH2A, Inc.,Washington, D.C. She
has architecture degrees from Washington University and Pratt Institute. She is a leader in "green"
architecture and recently won the Environmental Sensitivity Award from the Construction
Specifications Institute.
Mr. Bart Prince of Albuquerque is an architect best known for his unusual and creative use of
design and materials. His architecture degree is from Arizona State University and he has received
numerous architectural design awards.
Mr. Steven J. Strong, is president of Solar Design Associates, Harvard, Massachusetts. He

studied architecture at Northeastern University. He is the U.S. representative to the International
Energy Agency’s working group on PV in Buildings and is the author of “The Solar Electric House.”
JURY MEMBERS (left to right); Bart Prince, Rick Hendricks, Sandra Mendler, Ralph Johnson, and Steven J. Strong
U N I T E D S T A T E S D E P A R T M E N T O F E N E R G Y • N A T I O N A L S O L A R
THE D E S I G N
JURY
C O M P E T I T I O N
JURY COMMENTS RJ: Wind would blow over the water and cool the air around the space. RH: We also thought of it in terms that this will probably emerge as a pretty dominant symbol of the
Department of Energy. There will be a lot of news teams and they’ll no longer want to stand in
RH: Really, this was a pretty straightforward kind of a challenge, and out of 145 entries we had only SS: I think it’s fair to say that every scheme, or proposal, was strengthened by addressing the entire front of the building with the sign that says DOE, they’ll stand up here and shoot in front of the
several themes… the only radically changed one is this one (Solar Sails #267). The technology’s not site, either landscaping, park development… solar wall, and you would probably want that. So when you look at this, it has a flatter aspect to
radical, but the idea of making it an art statement is. Sort of a whimsical thing instead of a pure tech it…we thought that the winner definitely reads solar energy. It’s very strong, even though it’s more
solution. There were many with flags… we felt that whatever picture, whatever billboard effect you get BP: Rather than just a two-dimensional wall. It seems like they all saw the need to bring people to it. of an expected result. Pretty much everyone could relate to it. People who aren’t experienced
is really inappropriate for that particular site. There’s no possible way you can even see it so you don’t Well, actually, what I think they saw was that people are going to come to it when they see it, and there with this nice space are still looking at this on the 6 o’clock news and thinking, oh, this is the DOE.
get a long panorama or you don’t get to see it from miles away. better be something when they get there. It’s identifiable as a solar device.
SM: We all thought, who would ever see this billboard? Because, what we’re searching for is building SM: The schemes that were selected for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd all play with light in an interesting way. And we SM: The winner’s also very rich in that in addition to the solar electric, PV cells, there’s solar
integration. Here in particular there wasn’t even an audience to see that billboard. thought there’s something about the way photovoltaics are evolving that is a way of dealing with light thermal, where water is heated in a solar thermal array, which is very efficient; there’s also a
and shadow and creating a light-filtering effect that can make these spaces a lot nicer to be in. cavity, an airspace between the layers of glass that heat air during the winter months; and there’s
V
RJ: If you had a wonderful public space in front of this wall, then a billboard might make sense. What the passive cooling of the water pond as well. There are a whole bunch of things: behind that wall
we wanted to do with this project is actually make a space. I think that’s something we talked about RH: The application on the buildings is maybe not so much curtain walls but maybe layered buildings. are stacks that create ventilation behind the space. So there were multiple issues that were being
before we started reviewing this. It should be expressive of solar technology but should also make a Maybe not on all four sides because you’d want to respond to the different configurations, but this addressed in a very integrated, kind of sophisticated way, which was a big part of why we chose
public place. You can’t do that with a billboard. could be a prototype of a kind of layered look, of creating a kind of secondary environmental layer. this one...
Between the outside and the inside.
SM: You should draw people to it so you can engage them and get them looking at it more closely BP: Well, they’re providing shade in the summer, with the solid photovoltaic part, then they’ve got
rather than just creating an image. SM: There were some themes very similar to this that actually created area underneath the wall, and the glass part, which allows sun through in the winter time, so you don’t have the cold air behind it.
these each create a transitional space itself, really building a building. It was a bit much to actually
RH: And I think all three of them do that. The top three actually create a sliver of space behind it; it create a whole program and create a whole building when they hadn’t been asked to create that kind RH: The one here (Suncurtain/Sunhall #285), which is really a hanging curtain, is extremely
encourages you to go in there. And that space exists right now, the walkway exists. of transitional space. Like an outside arcade that encourages people to congregate. practical. This one, you could probably actually build based on the schematic available right now.
Depending on how you anchor it down, it could be either more or less flexible; it could be really
RJ: We wrestled with that question from the start, how far to come out, but I think we have to agree RH: This one here (Sunwall #327), the panel that’s sort of slipped off the wall, it’s sort of interesting interesting. Maybe it could move a little bit in the wind, and it doesn’t have a lot of moving parts,
that the conclusion is if it is at all possible, it should extend out into the site. Any of these three all have because of that; and it’s got this combination of being extremely factory made and standard, but it even though it looks like it has lots of stuff happening. This one down here (Solar Sails #267) has
implications all the way out to the rim . We strongly suggest that this project go out as far as it can. In has this life cycle where it slipped off the wall and in the process it optimized its configuration for a lot of moving parts but it is extremely interesting. You know, we’re trying to figure it out. It’s got
fact, the winning scheme has this pond of water. Not only is it interesting visually, it’s part of the collecting solar energy. some really nice elements: they have wedge-spaced shape against the wall, they have this tower
energy solution. that is supposed to give you an analog representation of what’s going on even though it shadows
SM: We talked about that one (Sunwall #327) quite a lot. Even though it’s not technically a wall some of the collectors. It’s got a lot of things happening. It couldn’t win, but it’s got lots of things
SM: It solves the problem of masking over all the jumble of things you have below, which is anymore, in transforming it into a roof, it collects more solar energy in that orientation. happening, lots of creativity.
really problematic.
JURY
COMMENTS D E P A R T M E N T O F E N E R G Y • N A T I O N A L S O L A R D E S I G N C O M P E T I T I O N
SM: The other 2nd place scheme, the real whimsical one (Solar Sails #267), we talked about quite SM: We do have to mention this one (Solar Grass Field #280). We haven’t mentioned anything so RH: The student one, which we didn’t know was a student one, was competing in the great draped
a lot. On the one hand it says solar could be anything. It’s almost the exact opposite of the wall obvious. We felt it was not practical, but just intriguing and really creative and one of these far-out solution, cable-formed approach. It was very strong—the collector panels were clearly floating.
that says solar. This could have been absolutely anything: metal mesh, or anything. That made ideas that one day people will figure out what to do with this kind of interesting image in the future. But They don’t suggest a solid sheet, but are actually individual tiles floating in a grid of wires. That we
an interesting statement, that solar doesn’t have to be solar, it could be a very playful, imaginative, we just felt it was so engaging as an image that it deserved recognition. thought of as a positive, it would make it much easier to get the clearances to build it. It also would
fun function on the plaza that generates electricity as well. So it’s kind of neat, almost the polar move more. It didn’t have as many energy strategies on the board as the winner did, but it clearly
opposite of the first one that was chosen. The message isn’t clear or overt. Just very playful, SM: We talked about, before we got started, what we thought as we went through the teams, what we was extremely creative.
because it’s got the plants growing through the trellis, it’s sort of making a play off the trellis, the were looking for and what we were recognizing. And I think some of these kind of give an important
vines that grow on the trellis, which is also solar, so it’s very playful and poetic that way. context for what we were doing here. BP: It’s so interesting that the student scheme was right up there at the top with the rest of them.
SS: The 1st place award presents a refined concept that can be applied to virtually any vertical 1) An idea clearly expressed, that is compelling, engaging SM: It was slightly more roof than wall in that it angled out more and captures more space, more
wall as a retrofit. And therefore it is replicable, which is desirable. It fits this particular site 2) An idea that will inspire the design community—the design community in essence is the plaza space. The reason why it didn’t make the final cut was just because the other scheme that we
requirement, but it could also be scaled to fit many others. gatekeeper of the technology, and we wanted something that would inspire them to work chose as the first scheme had more design synergy and more energy strategies integrated into it.
VI
further with solar technology
SM: Same with the other 2nd place winner. 3) As taxpayers, is this a good investment? We struggled with this quite a bit, trying to balance Are any of the things you see in these competition entries ideas that you would like to see taken out
cost and benefit into other venues? Are these viable options?
RH: But it’s slightly better because you’ve got the see-through glass. 4) Are these good models for future endeavors?
5) Will people experience this? Will it just be a fleeting moment as they drive by, or will they BP: Conceptually, what I would like to see, we talked about the replicability and I’m actually against
SS: Yes, I agree. come up and occupy this space and really experience the solar wall? that for the most part. I’d actually like to see an idea or concept replicated in another form, but not so
6) Will the design help people understand what the issues are related to photovoltaics? much the idea that we would see a design on every straight wall across the country. We were looking
RH: There’s something about the vertical, articulated line (Sunwall #56). It really is a minimalist 7) Do they provide multiple benefits? Are they integrated solutions that accomplish multiple things? for concepts that would let people see how they could take something they were trying to do and apply
sculpture, actually. Pretty direct expression—the solar vertical panels picked up on the expression 8) Is it appropriate to the site and context? the idea in their own form.
of classical proportions in a very abstract way of the government buildings in Washington. 9) And, what are the aesthetics?
SM: Currently, most of the applications of solar panels are done as an add-on attachment to an
RJ: Solar columns. This is what we were thinking about as we culled through all of these schemes. existing structure. And we thought that these designs were presenting some exciting ways to think
about solar panels in a different way, to think about them as a skin, a light-permeable skin, or to think
RH: Yeah it’s the one that has the most pronounced overlap, or it extends beyond the building, What about your winning student design? about them as a horizontal Venetian blind that was more of an awning structure. And so yeah, there’s
which would tend to draw you up the L’Enfant Promenade because you would see at least the last more richness in the way the panels were used to create space and really a lot of interesting ways of
two or three of those fins from down Independence Ave. And it also extends over the top of the BP: It was very similar to the winner. We didn’t know it was a student design at first. filtering light and creating a microclimate outside the building. This kind of unique problem led to
building; I don’t know if you would—I mean, you wouldn’t be able to see that, but instead of being solutions that are unique to here, because there’s no building that’s being created. But it was interesting
applied to the building, the building would become smaller. that some of them stretch beyond the surface of the building. Many attempted to do something beyond
just treat this as the surface of a building.
JURY
N A T I O N A L S O L A R
COMMENTS D E S I G N C O M P E T I T I O N
RH: A couple of things that could go out to the world…we think that this one (Solar Sails #267) could or digital things, saying what’s happening: this is how much energy is being created, this is how RJ: I was very excited, the whole idea of solar panels being transparent, not opaque. After talking to
go out to the rest of the world—it just needs a spot, needs to be built someplace. It probably couldn’t much storage we have, this is how much is left. I think this one (Sunwall #280) is pretty blank in that Steve we all wanted to go back and create our own wall! I think what Steve was talking about earlier,
be built in the bureaucracy that exists, but it would be nice to see it. Only once! area, so there’s a need to animate it more, to engage people more, make it more of a hands-on which was not manifested, was the change in transparency you can achieve by sort of carving back,
thing. You will want to make it so people want to go under that canopy, and when they get there it etching out the glass. I think that’s a strategy that could have a lot of areas of deployment.
BP: As a concept, it shows a way to treat the solar so it is not just an appliqué stuck on the building. shouldn’t just be all cables.
There are lots of ways to treat it, and this is more sculptural, playful, not just a big wall of glass. RH: I mean, we were talking about using solar panels as glazing panels, not as appliqué,
Hopefully people will realize that they too can do something to bring this into their building, and do it in SM: We thought you very much could create a space under it, a pavilion space or restaurants and capturing some costs you have already in structure, fenestration, hardware, labor, and having
their own way. cafés during lunch hour to make it a place that would draw people. One of the concerns, even with the them as collector panels instead of fretted glass. This one, for example, has different densities
one with the vertical blinds, was that it grab you as a space that you would respond to positively. It’s of collectors on it (Sunwall #280).
RJ: It’s a sculpture first and solar second, which might work on another building, but at the DOE solar also because it’s a very cold and in some ways uninviting place now. I guess …we were looking for an
was first. imagery that was more inviting and would help improve and draw people to that space and encourage SM: Yeah, well, need the lead filtering on that side because it gets so bright and hot, and the
that space to be more used. different densities provide shade and collect solar energy.
VII
SM: That was important too, that it doesn’t have to be used only in cases where you’re being self-
conscious about materials and making a statement about solar, but it could be used in other ways. BP: From the walkway out on the end you can see the Capitol building and the Jefferson Memorial. I SS: The opaque cells are spaced to let light get through. Right now the ability of the industry to
mean, it brings you out to that corner and high enough that you can see this corridor. But it looks to me provide large panels with laser etching in a large format like that just isn’t here yet. However, if
How do you think the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission will like they’ve gotten you out enough and high enough that you could really experience the rest of the you’re using discrete opening crystalline cells, your ability to build large format is really just
view these? grid that’s out there, which is hard to see right now. shooting for the right technology.
RH: I think they might…we thought actually that they might probably prefer the vertical line one because SS: One theme is clear—almost every entry with any depth went beyond the parameters of a SM: What would be interesting is if that design was refined to actually introduce both technologies.
of the architectural symbolism of Washington. But I would think that the winning one is actually doable solar wall.
because it’s in such an obscure location that I think they would be a little more open to it. SS: Some entries did go deliberately out of their way to offer two or three or even four
RH: There’s a hodgepodge of mechanical equipment there, and the winning one hides that with a manufacturers, sort of a mix-and-match routine, thinking perhaps that the politics of the process
SS: I don’t think we could do it on the side of the Smithsonian. pond—it’s like a bread pan above that level. I think that was one of the challenges of the site. In might actually drive equal opportunity. But unfortunately—and I was actually looking for some
the whimsical one, you sort of use that to your advantage. Part of the strategy may be to offer way to bring those further forward in the process—there wasn’t enough there otherwise to merit
RH: We didn’t consider these as finished designs, they just suggest things, although maybe more or double-level parking in that area below, and put a very shallow pond above, which offers the them. In fact, if this is brought further forward, you could have different solar cells, different
less strongly. But there are definitely some challenges left besides just engineering them out and evaporative cooling. manufacturers, bidding for color cells, possibly thin film, and laser etched bands in there
building them. It’s probably the responsibility of the DOE to get it to be used. They have to either somewhere. So there’s lots of variations on the theme.
hold activities there themselves, or things have to go on to make the space livable and to encourage SM: We feel the scheme would work without the pond, because the space behind the wall is the most
people to get under it. Some of them—not the winners—had a lot of indicators under them, analog valuable. But a green space, wildflowers, would be nice. SUNWALL DESIGN COMPETITION JURY
Did it raise your excitement level and awareness of PVs to be involved in this project?
JURY
COMMENTS D E P A R T M E N T O F E N E R G Y • N A T I O N A L S O L A R D E S I G N C O M P E T I T I O N
CREDITS
The competition was sponsored by U.S. Department of Energy. The competition was organized by the National Renewable Energy Published in 2001 by:
Laboratory (NREL) and AIA Center for Building Performance and Environment. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory
1617 Cole Blvd.
U.S. Department of Energy Golden, CO 80401
Dan W. Reicher Copyright 2001

Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy The National Renewable Energy Laboratory
All rights reserved.
Richard King Printed in the United States
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Building Technologies,
State and Community Programs Produced for the U.S. Department of Energy
by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
Glenn Strahs a DOE National laboratory
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Building Technologies,
State and Community Programs
VIII
National Renewable Energy Laboratory NOTICE
NREL’s mission is to lead the nation toward a sustainable energy future by developing renewable energy technologies, improving This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States government. Neither the United
energy efficiency, advancing related science and engineering, and facilitating commercialization. Key to NREL’s mission is facilitating States government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any
the transfer of its renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies to private industry for commercialization. legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process
disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product,
NREL is operated and managed for the U.S. Department of Energy by the Midwest Research Institute. process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement,
recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed
Sheila J. Hayter, PE herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or any agency thereof.
NREL Center for Buildings and Thermal Systems
AIA Center for Building Performance & Environment

The Building Performance PIA promotes the use of high performance design criteria, codes, and standards for architecture. Publication number: DOE/GO-102001-1339
Together, AIA member experts and those of related disciplines educate the architecture profession on all aspects of building
performance. Building Performance also seeks to establish a national building performance research agenda that meets the To obtain copies of this document contact:
needs of the profession and encourages development of design metrics for building performance.
Sally Evans, Document Distribution
Ed. Jackson Jr., Arch.D. National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Director, Center for Building Performance & Environment 1617 Cole Boulevard
Golden, CO 80401
Sara Malone (303) 275-4363
Editor/Writer sally_evans@nrel.gov
Publication Design
Hollander Associates with
Twilight Design Studio
U N I T E D S T A T E S D E P A R T M E N T O F E N E R G Y • N A T I O N A L S O L A R
CREDITS
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY • NATIONAL SOLAR DESIGN COMPETITION
U N I T E D S TAT E S D E PA R T M E N T O F E N E R G Y
N AT I O N A L R E N E W A B L E E N E R G Y L A B O R ATO RY

DOE/GO-102001-1339
sunwall design competition
July 2001

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY • NATIONAL SOLAR DESIGN COMPETITION

THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS

THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS..........................................................................................................................iii URBAN PLEATS • MOTONOBU KUROKA.............................................................................................12

HONORABLE MENTION: SUNWALL • URBAN INSTRUMENTS.........................................................8 SOLAR WALL • STEFAN RICHTER.......................................................................................................20

HONORABLE MENTION: SUNWALL • UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA..................................................10 DESIGN PROGRAM..................................................................................................................................I

THE DYNAMIC NET RESPONDS MORPHOLOGICALLY TO FLOWS

PROJECT NUMBER: 463 The Public Realm

Mr. Steven J. Strong, is president of Solar Design Associates, Harvard, Massachusetts. He

Dan W. Reicher Copyright 2001

AIA Center for Building Performance & Environment

THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS

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